MARCH UPDATE

Ok, I guess I need to just start doing a monthly update. Sigh. I really would like to blog more, but it just isn't happening...Oh, Well.

PRE-SCHOOL AND PRE-K

We registered for Pre-K at the public school accross the street from us on the 18th. I hope that she gets in. They take 20 students and I was number 23 when registration was 1/2 over. They take all the applicants and test them (testing will be in May) and also go by income and who knows what else, then choose the 20. I have also thought about sending her to a Montissori school for Pre-k, but it is about 20 miles from the house, and that's a little too far.



Emily is almost reading. The other day she was looking a the grocery store flyer that came in the mail and she was "reading" it out loud. She was saying "buy one get one free" and the ad did say free. I asked her to point out the word free, and she did!! I asked her to point out the word sale, and she did!! We have now started going through some of her books, and I choose a word and have her find it on every page and have her spell it when she finds it. She loves I-spy so this is a fun game for her. So far she can recognize Dad, Daddy, Mother, Nemo, Mom. I do know that at this point she is just memorizing the words, but that is part of reading...it won't be long now and she will be reading. I am as excited as she is.



Emily has also started writing her letters. She has been asking for new preschool books, but I told her I wasn't going to buy any more until she started writing her letters. Lo and behold she started writing her letters!! I have seen her write most of the alphabet, both lower and upper case letters. I knew she could do!! She loves to do the word puzzles where specific symbols stand for certain letters and it spells words. I need to get her books that have these.

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING

We really haven't been doing too much. We did go to the Swamp last weekend. They were having a big geology thing going on. They had a treasure hunt in the trails, they were cutting open geodes for the kids, a rockwall (Emily did "climb" she was a little scared, but she loved it!!), the kids got to hunt for [fool's] gold, and many other educational type stuff. It was really fun. I just love the Swamp.

EMILY NOW HAS HER OWN PARK

Daddy and I finally got Emily her own "park" as she calls a swingset. We had been eyeing this particular wooden set for a long time. It has a clubhouse, rockwall, monkey bars and swings and slide. She is so active and loves to climb we felt if we were going to buy her one, it had to have all of the above. Last Friday night Donnie and I had a datenight and went to the toy store and bought her park!! Just before we went out, I checked my e-mail and I had a sale notice from THE toy store that had this set on sale for over 45% off. I am so excited on the deal that we got!!



We also got Emily a pool. Our church youth pastor just accepted a full time pastor job at another church. They are moving and offered their pool to us for dirt cheap. it is a little one - 2 1/2 feet deep and 10 foot round, but it will be perfect for her for the next 2 summers.



Between the park and the pool, we are set for the summer. Summer, we are ready for you!! Emily also has the basketball goal that Granny got her for Christmas. Emily still loves her sand table too. Mom just needs to get her a big sun umbrella, I am sure we will spend the summer outside!! Emily hates to sweat, so this will be interesting.

OTHER SUMMER ACTIVIES

Here it is, Spring starts tomorrow, and I am already talking about summer. We really don't have much spring-like weather in the south, so looking forward to summer is pretty easy to do.



We of course will be spending a lot of our time at home with our park. There are several children in the neighborhood that we plan on spending time with this summer. Some of them we already know and she plays with, but there are some that we haven't met and we plan on meeting them and playing with them.



I want to do another Swamp Tot program at the Swamp.



The zoo. zippity Zoo days is next weekend.



The next town over has a new waterpark. It is a step above a splash park and has a big waterslide. The fee to go is very reasonable, so I hope to take Em atleast 2 or 3 imes this summer.



The beach is only about 3 hours from here. I would love to go to the beach atleast for a weekend this summer. We are'nt planning a big vacation this year. we have paid off 4 of 5 credit cards in the last 18 months, and should have the last one paid out in the next 18 months. We are making a big push to get out of debt, and stay that way, so we are going to saccrifice the vacation to do it.